Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, a method of controlling the same, and a storage medium, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus that is equipped with a resume function for storing settings used when the image forming apparatus was used last time, and reproducing the stored settings when the image forming apparatus is used next time.
Description of the Related Art
In recent years, an image forming apparatus is equipped with various functions, and further, the operations performed by a user have become complicated. Generally, an image forming apparatus is often shared by a plurality of users, and hence there has been proposed one equipped with an auto-clear function for automatically clearing the settings after the lapse of a predetermined time period so as to prevent, after a change in the settings, the next user from using the image forming apparatus without noticing the change in the settings. In this image forming apparatus, the user is required to select a desired setting screen from the initial menu of the image forming apparatus whenever the user uses the image forming apparatus. Therefore, even if an individual user usually uses the same settings, the user is required to perform a troublesome operation for setting the same settings every time.
To solve the above-mentioned problem, there has been proposed a customization function for enabling a user to freely configure the initial settings.
However, this function requires a user to customize the settings by himself/herself, and hence it is difficult for a user who is not familiar with the image forming apparatus to customize the settings. Therefore, a system is required, which makes it possible to automatically reproduce a screen which was used by the user last time without requiring the user's instruction.
In Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2008-273126, when a plurality of functions are sequentially selected within a predetermined time period after user authentication, information on each of the functions and selection order thereof are stored in a manner associated with each user. Then, when customization information of the user is read from a customization information storage section, an initial display screen displayed by a function selected first (first ordinal rank) of the plurality of functions is read and displayed on a console section. By thus taking into consideration the function selection order (ordinal rank) of each of the plurality of users, it becomes possible to provide an initial display screen which is properly customized on a user-by-user basis.
In the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2008-273126, information on each of a plurality of functions selected within a predetermined time period when the user was in a logged-in state on the immediately preceding occasion and an order of selection thereof are stored in association with each user. Further, the user can properly set “the predetermined time period in the logged-in state”, and set the time period in a manner associated with timing desired by the user for storing information on the selected functions and order of election thereof, such as a time at which a job is finished, and a time at which the user logs out.
However, in a case where a setting operation is interrupted by a cause unintended by the user and it does not fall within “the predetermined time period in the logged-in state”, the settings are not stored, and hence the user is required to reconfigure the settings when the cause of interruption is removed.